


What I Like About You

by rissaleigh49



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World, F/M, Golden Girl Hermione Granger, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship, Overprotective Harry Potter, Past Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Song Lyrics, Song fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:53:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26004469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rissaleigh49/pseuds/rissaleigh49
Summary: When alleged "bad boy" Draco Malfoy walks back into Hermione Granger's life, her whole world gets turned upside down.Based on the song "What I Like About You" by Jonas Blue feat. Theresa Rex
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Kudos: 4





	What I Like About You

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friendos! This is my first time writing an HP fic since I was 16 years old, so please be kind because I'm a wee bit nervous honestly. 
> 
> The only note I'm going to give you before you read is this: please don't come at me for the use of cell phones. I'm going to do my best to describe them time period accurate. For this story, Harry and Hermione have them. I actually have a very strong headcanon that Hermione might have a Blackberry, but that is a story for another time. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

_ All my life I've been a good girl  
_ _ Tryna do what's right, never told no lies  
_ _ Then you came around and suddenly my world  
_ _ Turned upside down, now there's no way out _

~oOo~

Hermione let out a deep sigh. She was sitting in the corner booth of her local pub, wondering how long she could sit there before Harry came looking for her. She knew she should probably let him know where she was, seeing as he  _ did _ extend an invitation for dinner, but she just needed a moment to herself. 

She was beyond tired, and not really physically. Harry and Ginny had gotten married about six months ago, and as much as she loved them, their newly-wedded bliss was nauseating. She and Ron had ended things very soon after Harry and Ginny were engaged, and though she didn’t regret it for an instant, she wanted - no,  _ needed _ \- a relationship based on something stronger than near-death experiences. 

A small part of her longed for the security she felt with Ron, but she knew a life of complacent safety would not make her happy. 

“That’s an awfully big sigh for such a small witch,” a frighteningly familiar voice drawled above her.

Hermione looked up, meeting the striking silver gaze of Draco Malfoy. He looked nearly the same as the last time she had seen him three years prior.

Five years ago, with the Ministry barely scraped together, it was decided that the Death Eater trials would be held in order of the most- to least-serious of crimes. At Hermione and Harry’s insistence (and much to Ron’s frustration), the Malfoys were left to the end. Because of everyone’s pain and grief, it took nearly three years to get there. By that time, the pale, gaunt boy of their childhood had turned himself into a respectable (and dare she say  _ handsome _ ) young man. 

It was Hermione’s belief that Draco had pretty much single handedly kept his entire family out of Azkaban. Narcissa may have helped Harry get back to the castle with her lie, but it was Draco’s (albeit reluctant) assistance during the war, and his charity work in the two years before his trial that really showed the Wizengamot that the family was certainly changed.

Sure, she’d seen in the  _ Prophet  _ that he was allegedly out on the town with different girls every other night, and the rumor mill around  _ that  _ particular aspect of his life was much the same as it was in their Hogwarts days. But there was something in the way his lips turned up at her that day in court that managed to make her stomach twist around itself in ways Ron never could.

Now, standing in front of her, was the same cheeky git who managed to render  _ her _ , Hermione Granger, completely speechless with one well-timed smile in front of most of the Wizarding World.

“Hello? Earth to Granger? Is your absurdly large brain still on in there?” he asked, and she realized she’d been staring at him for an embarrassingly long time. 

“Uh, sorry, I guess I’m a bit out of it. Would you like to sit down?” She gestured around her uncomfortably, and he gave her the same grin that made her heart drop to her feet. 

“Actually, I was thinking you could use some air. I settled your tab at the bar, so why don’t you down the rest of your pint and come with me?”

Hermione just blinked at him. “W-what? Why? I-”

Draco just laughed. “You’ve been looking melancholy in that corner for the last forty-five minutes, Granger. I’ve got nothing else to do tonight, so humor an old schoolmate and come with me.”

She thought for a minute. She should politely turn him down, stop ignoring Harry’s texts to come over for dinner, and get on with her life. 

It would be the proper thing to do.

Her entire life, she had done the proper thing. Maybe she needed a little danger.

So she gulped down the last of her warm beer, turned off her cell phone, grabbed his outstretched hand, and let him lead her out of the pub and in the opposite direction fromher flat. 

It also didn’t hurt that he shot her another one of those gut-twisting smiles.

* * *

Over in Godric’s Hollow, Harry Potter paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, ignoring the smirk on his wife’s face. 

“What if something happened to her, Gin? What if she was in an accident, or was kidnapped, or… or…?”

Ginny just laughed. “Will you give it a rest, Potter? Maybe she’s finally taking my advice and  _ ignoring _ your constant mother-henning.”

“She never  _ ignores _ my texts!”

“Harry James Potter, she is the most famous witch in the entire British Wizarding Community. Nothing could happen to her that you wouldn’t find out about immediately.”

“And what if she was back in Muggle London?”

“Then she has her phone on her and someone would see the unhealthy amount of communication between you two, and be able to work out the rest from there. Now can we please sit down for dinner?”

Harry followed his wife to the dining table, grumbling all the way.

* * *

_ This _ . This was why she always did the proper thing. 

Because the one time in her life that she  _ didn’t _ , her former-school-nemesis-turned-grown-up-crush was trying to get her to ride on a fucking broom with him.

“Come  _ on _ , Granger. I promise, you’ll have fun!” he nearly shouted, bouncing on his toes like an over-eager school girl. 

Hermione folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. “Absolutely not! I hate those things. They’re fucking terrifying!”

Draco’s expression softened a tad, though it still held a teasing smirk. “Who traumatised you?”

“I-I… no one!” she said defensively, and they both knew it was a lie. 

“I’m going to guess Potter, since I think you’d rat out your ex in a heartbeat. Lucky for us, I don’t have anything to prove. So get on behind me and hold on tight. Pretend it’s a motorbike! Those are just as dangerous anyway.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, but somehow found herself mounting the broom behind him. “That doesn’t really help your case, Malfoy.”

“And yet, you’re still here, Granger.”

“Just kick off before I change my mind.” Hermione barely finished the sentence before she found herself clutching Malfoy’s waist as he tilted them upwards. 

When she had gone flying with Harry (the one time she allowed him to take her out for “fun”), he thought she would enjoy going as high and fast as possible. He felt the need to show off a bit, hurtling them through the sky and flipping and rolling them every which way. 

Needless to say, she was  _ not _ a fan. 

With Malfoy, he only kept them as high as to be out of sight of any wandering muggle eyes. The speed was exhilarating, but not frightening. Just enough to make her want to hold on a little tighter, but not so much that she thought she might fly off the back of the broom.

And she didn’t mind the way it felt being pressed against his back, the warmth she could feel through their shirts kept the chill from seeping into her skin. 

Suddenly, it wasn’t just his smile that made her stomach flip. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you lovelies :)
> 
> xoxo  
> Rissa


End file.
